Local and State Headlines for Thursday, March 7th, 2019

posted by Mark Starling -
Mar 7, 2019

Legislator Summoned For Cyberstalking Allegation

(Transylvania County, NC) -- A Western North Carolina legislator is being summoned to court. The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office issued a criminal summons yesterday against District 113 State Representative Cody Henson for alleged cyberstalking. Henson's wife was granted a protective order against him last month after she said he was harassing her. WLOS-TV says District Attorney Greg Newman has recused himself from the case.

Asheville Organization Helping Tornado Victims

(Asheville, NC) -- An Asheville disaster relief organization is helping tornado victims in Alabama recover from last weekend's disastrous storms. Hearts with Hands is asking the public to volunteer time, make a financial contribution or donate supplies. WLOS-TV says a team from the Madison County Sheriff's Office will drive to the state today to deliver food boxes the group has been collecting this week.

Me Too Founder Speaking In Asheville

(Asheville, NC) -- The founder of the Me Too movement is speaking in Asheville next week. Tarana Burke will take part in the Break the Silence Speaker Series at the Renaissance Hotel one week from today. She says it's time to have honest conversations about sexual assault in the country. Proceeds go towards prevention education and rape crisis response in Buncombe County.

Buncombe Sheriff Seeking More Employees, Vehicles

(Buncombe County, NC) -- Buncombe County's sheriff wants more employees and vehicles. Quentin Miller told county commissioners on Tuesday night that the sheriff's office needs to hire 20 more people because the sheriff's office is understaffed. He is also seeking 40 new vehicles to replace those that have built up high mileage. The requests would cost the county three-point-two-million-dollars a year.

WCU Narrows List Of Chancellor Finalists

(Cullowhee, NC) -- The search for a new chancellor at Western Carolina University may soon come to an end. The school's board of trustees narrowed a list of finalists down to three at the end of February. The finalists visited the campus last month to meet with faculty, administrators and some students. Former Chancellor David Belcher left the school in December 2017 before he died from cancer last summer.

Teen Killed By Train In Monroe

(Monroe, NC) -- Monroe Police say a teenager was hit and killed by a train on Tuesday night. Carlos Rodriguez left his home around two hours before he was struck on the tracks near Walkup Avenue. Investigators said the accident didn't happen at a train crossing. The 13-year-old was a student at Monroe Middle School.

Contractor Suffers Injury At Carowinds

(Charlotte, NC) -- A contractor is being treated for a gruesome injury he suffered at Carowinds yesterday. Amusement park officials said the man was inspecting the Windseeker, which is one of Carowind's tallest rides. An employee told Fox 46 that the contractor's hand was somehow severed at the top of the ride. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating at the park.

Jury Continues Deliberations In Murder Trial

(Charlotte, NC) -- A Charlotte jury is deliberating again today to decide the fate of Rayquan Borum. He's been charged in the murder of Justin Carr during the uptown Charlotte riots in 2016. Jurors spent most of Wednesday behind closed doors, but came to no decision yet. They're considering first and second-degree murder, along with possession of a firearm by a felon.

Teenager Shot In Chester County

(Chester County, SC) -- Chester Police are investigating the shooting of a teenager. The 16-year-old was shot a few blocks from downtown near Starnes and Floyd streets. The extent of the injuries hasn't been released.

Report: No Link Between Coal Ash And Cancer In Iredell

(Iredell County, NC) -- There is no link between a spike in thyroid cancer cases and coal ash in Iredell County. That's what the North Carolina Health and Human Services Department issued in a report to the county this week. The number of thyroid cancer cases in Iredell was notably higher than anywhere else in North Carolina between 2005 and 2016, and local officials want to know why. The state health department says there has been no increased exposure to radiation at the nuclear station on Lake Norman in several decades.

Governor Cooper Releases 2019-2021 Budget

(Raleigh, NC) -- Governor Roy Cooper unveiled his full budget proposal on Wednesday through the year 2021. The governor's office says teachers will see an average pay raise of just over nine-percent over two years as part of his plan to prioritize public education. Cooper is also proposing a bond of nearly four-billion dollars to invest in school facility improvements.

New Bill Filed To Compensate Gun-Carrying Teachers

(Raleigh, NC) -- Legislators are once again trying to give a salary increase to North Carolina teachers who carry guns in school. The School Security Act of 2019, filed in the Senate yesterday, comes a week after the re-introduction of the House's School Self-Defense Act, a bill that would allow for armed teachers but does not say anything about extra pay. Both pieces of legislation were previously introduced last year but died in committee.

State Ordered To Fulfill Payment To School Districts

(Raleigh, NC) -- A Wake County judge is re-instating a judgment against the state to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to school districts. The money comes from fines that were collected by state agencies to be turned over to the districts, but the money was diverted elsewhere over the course of a decade. School districts sued and won a judgment of nearly 750-million dollars in 2008, but since then, the state has paid only a small fraction of that. Superior Court Judge Vince Rozier said yesterday the state still owes about 730-million.

Man Killed In Durham Shooting

(Durham, NC) -- A 21-year-old man is dead after a shooting last night in Durham. Police reportedly found the shooting victim on Holloway Street at around 8 p.m., who then died at an area hospital. Authorities say a potential suspect is in custody.

Apartment Fire In Morrisville Displaces Dozens

(Morrisville, NC) -- About 40 residents are homeless due to an apartment fire in Morrisville. The large blaze broke out at the 17-unit Camden Westwood Apartments at around 5 p.m. Wednesday. No injuries were reported. Firefighters reportedly had the fire under control in about a half-hour.

Two Women Arrested For Waffle House Fight

(Raleigh, NC) -- Two women are being charged for allegedly brawling at a Waffle House in Raleigh. Police responded to a New Bern Avenue location at around 3 a.m. Wednesday for a report of four women fighting, including one who apparently tried to use pepper spray, according to a report from WTVD-TV. The arrested individuals were identified as Shaqura Tyeisha Cobb and Teresa Michelle Jones, both of Raleigh.

Carolina Hurricanes Hosting Benefit Game For Officer Injured In Shooting

(Raleigh, NC) -- The Carolina Hurricanes are hosting a benefit game for a wounded Raleigh police officer. The team announced yesterday that PNC Arena will be the site for the game benefiting Officer Charles Ainsworth and his family on March 20th, featuring a team of Raleigh police officers coached by Canes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and a team of local firefighters coached by Stanley Cup-winning forward Erik Cole. Ainsworth was shot multiple times while responding to a call in January.

Two Greensboro Men Recovering After Plane Crashes Into Atlantic

(Greensboro, NC) -- Two Greensboro men are recovering after their small plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. It happened late yesterday morning, about 30 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island. Fox 8 says the victims were rescued by a nearby cruise ship. They're identified as Ed Regensburg and Dan Tucker. The cause of the wreck is under investigation.

Two More Arrests Made In 9th Congressional District Election

(Bladen Co., NC) -- Two more arrests are announced in connection with election fraud linked to the 9th Congressional District race. Tonya Gordon and Matthew Mathis turned themselves into officials in Bladen and Sampson counties this week. A third suspect, Rebecca Thompson, is still at large. The seat has been left vacant since concerns about ballot fraud surfaced. A new election date is set for September 10th.

Greensboro Could Be Getting More Than 200 Jobs

(Greensboro, NC) -- A couple hundred jobs could be coming to Greensboro if a New York-based apparel company decides to open up shop in the city. Centric Brands Inc. is looking at opening up in the Old Greensborough Gateway Center downtown. As part of the economic development package being offered to the company, it would have to create 213 jobs on or before June of 2022.

Woman Arrested In Deadly Stabbing In Greensboro

(Greensboro, NC) -- A woman is under arrest in connection with a deadly stabbing in Greensboro last month. It happened on February 20th at an apartment on Montrose Drive. Antonio Salgado-Leon was killed. Nabora Guitierrez-Castro was arrested yesterday on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Family Dollar To Close Nearly 400 Stores

(Undated) -- Family Dollar plans to close nearly 400 stores across the country this year. The discount chain was bought out by Dollar Tree in 2015, and the company is facing pressure to sell or revitalize the business model. Family Dollar did not release a list of affected stores, but the News & Record says most counties in the Triad will likely experience closings.